April9b

Page 1

ADDISON COUNTY INDEPENDENT

B Section

THURSDAY, Â APRIL Â 9, Â 2015

KARL LINDHOLM

SPORTS

ALSO IN THIS SECTION:

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All  that  dough  for a  baseball  class? I  was  sitting  in  Sama’s,  near  the  rear,  with  my  back  to  the  door,  drink-­ ing  coffee  and  grading  papers,  hard-­ copy,  the  old-­fashioned  way.  My  neighbor  entered,  sat  down  opposite  me,  and  asked  me  what  I  was  doing. “Reading  student  papers.  I’m  WHDFKLQJ D FRXUVH WKLV VSULQJ ´ , H[-­ plained.  â€œI  get  to  teach  one  a  year  in  retirement.â€?  â€œSo,â€?  my  neighbor  asked,  â€œwhat  course?â€? “A  baseball  class.  It’s  called,  â€œSegregation  in  America:  Base-­ ball’s  Negro  Leagues.â€? He  thought  for  a  minute,  and  said,  â€œNo  disrespect  intended,  but  why  would  a  student,  whose  parents  are  paying  $60,000  a  year  to  send  their  kid  to  Middlebury,  take  a  baseball  course?â€?  â€œNo  disrespect  taken,â€?  I  said,  dumping  my  coffee  in  his  lap.  â€œWell,  the  students  read,  write,  and  do  re-­ search  â€”  that’s  always  good,  right?â€?  â€œOK,  but  seriously,  baseball?â€? Âł6XUH %DVHEDOO H[SODLQV $PHUL-­ ca,â€?  I  said. I  told  him  about  an  essay  by  Bart  Giamatti,  former  commissioner  of  baseball  and  president  of  Yale,  titled  â€œBaseball  and  the  American  Charac-­ WHU ´ ZKLFK UHĂ€HFWV RQ D JDPH ZKRVH central  metaphor  is  â€œhome,â€?  in  a  country  of  immigrants.  The  essence  of  the  game  is  a  great  Odyssean  adventure  of  going  out  and  coming  back,  and  when  one  makes  it  home DOO H[XOW The  game  goes  back  so  far!  First  the  British  in  the  19th  century  adapt-­ ed  their  games  to  American  soil  and  spirit;Íž  then  the  Irish  (McGraw)  and  Germans  (Ruth)  and  Italians  (DiMaggio)  embraced  the  game  in  their  new  home  â€”  and  always,  black  Americans,  shut  out  at  the  highest  levels  for  so  long,  played  this  dis-­ tinctive  19th  century  game,  in  the  shadows,  out  of  the  limelight.  My  friend  is  of  an  age  where  he  can  remember  when  baseball  was  everything,  in  the  1950s,  when  every  town,  school,  church,  factory,  club,  you  name  it,  had  a  team.  For  100  (See  Lindholm,  Page  2B)

ScoreBOARD HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Boys’ Lacrosse 4/4  MUHS  vs.  Woodstock  ......................14-­2 COLLEGE SPORTS Men’s Lacrosse 4/1  Midd.  vs.  Hamilton  ...........................11-­8 4/4  Midd.  vs.  Colby  ..............................15-­12 Women’s Lacrosse 4/4  Midd.  vs.  Colby  ..................................7-­5 4/7  Midd.  vs.  Union  ................................12-­8 Baseball 4/3  Amherst  vs.  Midd.  ............................22-­2 4/4  Amherst  vs.  Midd.  ............................18-­2 4/4  Amherst  vs.  Midd.  ..........................20-­10 Softball 4/3  Williams  vs,  Midd.  ..............................6-­4 4/3  Williams  vs.  Midd.  ..............................7-­0 4/4  Williams  at  Midd.   ............... Ppd.  to  4/12 4/7  Midd.  vs.  Johnson  ..............................5-­4 4/7  Midd.  vs.  Johnson  ............................17-­0

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Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell

Tiger  boys’  lacrosse  starts  strong MUHS  coasts  vs.  Wasps  in  opener By  ANDY  KIRKALDY penter  (two  goals)  added  multiple  MIDDLEBURY  â€”  The  Middle-­ scores. bury  Union  High  School  boys’  la-­ Coach  Dennis  Smith  noted  the  crosse  season  started  well  on  Sat-­ Wasps  had  not  been  able  to  hold  a  urday,  when  the  Tigers  breezed  past  IXOO ÂżHOG SUDFWLFH GXULQJ WKH SUH-­ traditional  rival  Woodstock,  14-­2,  season,  while  the  Tigers  have  prac-­ in  a  game  moved  from  ticed  outdoors  on  the  Woodstock  to  Middle-­ “They had a FROOHJH ÂżHOG bury  College’s  Alumni  great game, Even  given  that  ad-­ Stadium  due  to  weather  probably one vantage,  Smith  was  DQG ÂżHOG FRQGLWLRQV pleased  overall  with  the  of their best The  Tigers  got  a  Tigers’  dominance.   strong  defensive  effort  groundball “Offensively,  I  led  by  seniors  Austin  games in my thought  we  played  pret-­ Robinson  and  Justin  three years ty  well.  We  made  mis-­ Stone  and  senior  goalies  of coaching, takes,  just  like  anybody  Nathan  Lalonde  (eight  not only the ZRXOG LQ WKH ÂżUVW JDPH saves,  one  goal  against  But  our  mistakes  were  LQ WKH ÂżUVW WKUHH SHULRGV middies but a  lot  fewer  than  theirs  and  Lucas  Plouffe  (sev-­ everybody all were,  and  we  capital-­ en  saves  in  the  fourth  around. If we ized,â€?  he  said.  quarter).  Robinson  can pick up The  Tigers  took  paced  the  Tigers  with  groundballs leads  of  3-­0  after  one  ¿YH JURXQGEDOOV D FDWH-­ and  8-­1  at  the  like that I feel period  gory  in  which  the  Tigers  half,  scores  Smith  said  YHU\ FRQĂ€GHQW could  have  been  closer  led  the  Wasps,  32-­15. Senior  Connor  Quinn  ZH¡OO EH Ă€QH Âľ if  Lalonde  had  not  been  (three  goals,  four  as-­ — Coach Smith sharp. sists,  four  groundballs)  â€œThey  are  not  a  bad  and  freshman  Jack  Donahue  (four  team.  They  probably  could  have  goals,  one  assist)  led  the  attack,  and  had  three  or  four  goals  by  halftime,  VHQLRU PLGÂżHOGHU %REE\ 5LWWHU WZR EXW 1DWKDQ KDG D JRRG ÂżUVW KDOI ´ JRDOV RQH DVVLVW MXQLRU PLGÂżHOGHU he  said.  TIGER  JUNIOR  NICK  Coe  keeps  the  pressure  on  during  a  skirmish  Ali  Abdul  Sater  (two  goals),  and  Still,  Smith  credited  his  defense  in  Saturday’s  game  against  visiting  Woodstock. sophomore  attacker  Spencer  Car-­ (See  Tigers,  Page  2B) Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell

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Mount  Abe  picks  Lee  Hodsden  to  lead  football By  ANDY  KIRKALDY BRISTOL  â€”  Lee  Hodsden,  who  assisted  the  Mount  Abraham/Ver-­ gennes  cooperative  varsity  program  IRU WKH SDVW ÂżYH VHDVRQV DQG ÂżQLVKHG the  2014  season  as  its  interim  head  coach,  last  week  was  named  as  the  team’s  new  head  coach.  Mount  Abraham  Co-­Athletic  Di-­ rector  Jeff  Stetson  said  there  were  several  candidates  for  the  position  most  recently  held  by  Ernie  Senecal,  who  resigned  during  the  season  this  past  fall,  but  that  a  search  committee  decided  Hodsden  was  the  person  for  the  job.  â€œThe  kids  in  the  program  really  enjoy  him,â€?  Stetson  said.  â€œHe  just  VHHPV WR EH D UHDOO\ JRRG ÂżW IRU WKH program.â€? As  well  as  assisting  the  varsity  pro-­ gram,  Hodsden  â€”  a  former  standout  running  back  for  Bellows  Falls  and  then  American  International  College  â€”  led  the  Eagle  JV  team  for  the  past  ¿YH \HDUV DQG KDV H[WHQVLYH H[SHUL-­ ence  as  a  youth  coach  in  other  sports,  Stetson  noted.   â€œHe  has  a  very  good  background  in  football  and  in  coaching  multiple  youth  sports,â€?  he  said. Hodsden,  who  recently  retired  from  the  Vermont  State  Police,  had  said  last  fall  he  wanted  to  step  away  after  his  son,  Jeb,  now  a  Vergennes  Union  High  School  senior  who  plays  on  the  Eagle  team,  graduated.  But  Stetson  said  Hodsden  told  the  com-­ mittee  he  had  a  change  of  heart.  â€œHe  has  assured  us  that  it  is  a  com-­ mitment  for  the  foreseeable  future,â€?  Stetson  said.  (See  Hodsden,  Page  3B)

Women’s  lax  wins  twice,  ranked  No.  2 WATERVILLE,  Maine  â€”  The  Middlebury  College  women’s  la-­ crosse  team  won  a  pair  of  recent  games,  including  one  key  NESCAC  contest,  to  improve  to  9-­1,  5-­1  in  league  play.  They  are  now  ranked  No.  2  in  NCAA  Division  III  and  will  host  league  foe  Bates  on  Saturday  at  noon.  On  this  past  Saturday,  the  Panthers  defeated  host  Colby,  7-­5,  in  a  battle  of  nationally  ranked  teams  â€”  Col-­ by  (9-­2,  4-­2  NESCAC)  entered  the  game  ranked  No.  2.  The  victory  also  avenged  two  2014  Middlebury  loss-­ es  to  the  Mules,  one  in  the  NESCAC  tournament.  Middlebury  took  a  5-­0  lead  in  the  opening  18:14  and  then  held  off  the  Mules  with  tough  defense.  Laurel  Pascal  scored  on  a  quick-­stick  feed  from  Mary  O’Connell  at  23:44.  Katie  Ritter  made  it  2-­0  off  a  pass  (See  Panthers,  Page  3B)

Schedule

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Girls’ Lacrosse 4/10  MUHS  at  Rutland  ...................4:30  p.m. 4/14  MUHS  at  St.  Albans  ...............4:30  p.m. Boys’ Lacrosse 4/10  Mt.  Abe  at  Stowe  ........................4  p.m. 4/10  Mt.  Anthony  at  OV  ......................4  p.m. 4/11  MUHS  at  Rutland  ......................11  a.m. 4/13  St.  Albans  at  MUHS  ....................4  p.m. 4/14  Mt.  Abe  at  VUHS  ........................4  p.m. 4/14  OV  at  Brattleboro  ........................6  p.m. 0W 0DQVÂżHOG DW 08+6  ...............4  p.m. 4/17  OV  at  Mt.  Abe  .............................4  p.m. 4/17  VUHS  at  Milton  ...........................4  p.m. 4/18  MUHS  at  S.  Burlington  .............11  a.m. Softball 4/11  OV  at  Leland  &  Gray  .................11  a.m. 4/14  Fair  Haven  at  MUHS  .............4:30  p.m. 4/16  St.  Johnsbury  at  MUHS  .........4:30  p.m. 4/16  OV  at  Brattleboro  ........................5  p.m. 4/17  Colchester  at  Mt.  Abe  ............4:30  p.m. 4/18  Winooski  at  VUHS  ....................11  a.m. 4/18  Rice  at  MUHS  ...........................11  a.m. Baseball 4/14  OV  at  Bellows  Falls  ...............4:30  p.m. 4/14  Fair  Haven  at  MUHS  .............4:30  p.m. 4/16  St.  Johnsbury  at  MUHS  .........4:30  p.m. 4/17  Mill  River  at  OV  ......................4:30  p.m. 4/17  Colchester  at  Mt.  Abe  ............4:30  p.m. 4/18  Winooski  at  VUHS  ....................11  a.m. 4/18  Rice  at  MUHS  ...........................11  a.m.

(See  Schedule,  Page  3B)

MIDDLEBURY  COLLEGE  FRESHMAN  Marykate  Melanson  cleared  1.52  meters  to  win  the  women’s  high  jump  at  last  Friday’s  Middlebury  College  Invitational. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell

College  track  excels  at  home  meet MIDDLEBURY  â€”  The  Middle-­ EXU\ &ROOHJH PHQÂśV WUDFN DQG ÂżHOG team  on  April  3  won  its  only  home  meet  of  the  season,  while  the  Panther Â

PANTHER  SOPHOMORE  CATE  Skinner  splashes  her  way  out  of  the  ZRPHQ ÂżQLVKHG VHFRQG LQ D PHHW WKDW teams  are  set  to  visit  Williams  this  water  hazard  during  the  steeplechase  at  last  Friday’s  Middlebury  Col-­ LQFOXGHG DWKOHWHV IURP 6SULQJÂżHOG weekend.  Castleton,  Plattsburgh,  Williams  and  On  the  men’s  side,  the  Panthers  OHJH ,QYLWDWLRQDO WUDFN DQG ÂżHOG PHHW 6NLQQHU ZRQ WKH HYHQW ZLWK D WLPH of  12:11.24. (See  Track,  Page  2B) Green  Mountain.  The  Middlebury  Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell


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